Construction season has hit Edmonton hard this year with the permanent closure of the 127 Street access to Anthony Henday Drive on the city’s south side.
In 2016, Alberta Transportation identified safety concerns about the 127 Street, but after discussions with the City of Edmonton, the decision was made to postpone the closure.
The closure is needed while crews finish work on the new 135 Street connection to the Henday. 127 Street will be reconfigured to provide transit and public parking access from Ellerslie Road to the new Heritage Valley Park and Ride, located on the corner of 127 Street and Ellerslie Road.
“Last year, in 2018, we did as much work on the new 135 Street connection as we could,” said Ryan Drummond with the City of Edmonton Transportation Infrastructure and Delivery. “We tried to keep 127 Street open as long as possible. We’re at the point now where we need to close 127 Street because the new 135 Street connection actually goes through and past the existing connection.
“We need to remove the existing connection to build the new.”
The project, scheduled to be finished this fall, will remove access to and from 127 Street from the Henday to make way for a new access ramp at 135 Street. The work will be done in coordination with the widening of Ellerslie Road from 135 Street to 111 Street.
During the closure, disruptions are expected and commuters are recommended to give themselves extra time. Drivers can access the Henday via 111 Street or Rabbit Hill Road.
“When we’re detouring to 111 Street and Rabbit Hill Road we’re going to be monitoring the traffic patterns over the duration of the project and making any necessary changes to signal timing and other factors,” Drummond said.
The 127 Street interchange was built more than a decade ago, when that particular section of the Henday had intersections with signals, which slowed down traffic.
Future plans for the area of south Edmonton also include a new hospital.
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